So, where do England go from here? After coming up short in a teeming, undulating first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, one that left combatants and spectators drained but richer for it, the smart-alec answer here is Lord’s.
There are five full days off first, however, with England not due to resume training until Monday; time to reflect on the one that got away, rest some weary legs and pop Moeen Ali’s sore spinning finger in a pot of piddle. Australia were rightly buzzing after their two-wicket heist, renditions of True Blue (John Williams, not Madonna) and Under the Southern Cross I Stand echoing late into the night. But on the other side of the dressing room wall, the hosts were not too blue in defeat.
Memories of 2005 have been baked into the narrative of this series and it is worth going back there. England went 1-0 down in the first Test, faced headlines such as “Vaughan again losers” and calls for changes in the team. But they held their nerve, stuck to the principles that underpinned a 12-month rise and struck back.
Back then it was a 239-run pasting inflicted by Glenn McGrath; this time it was Australia bucking a trend of coming second in Ashes close finishes by securing their tightest win by wickets over England since 1907. History may be more or less bunk but, equally, there is no need for Ben Stokes to get all Corporal Jones just yet.
As superb as Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon were during that tense final hour, after a couple of sparkling second-innings bowling performances by donning capes with bat in hand, England will know they made most of the running. They also made most of the errors; those old-as-time non‑negotiables that hold true whether a team are good, bad or on an evangelical mission to reinvent/save Test cricket.
Over the course of a match when both sides took 18 wickets, England put down (or failed to go for) five catches of varying difficulties, missed one stumping and bowled 23 no-balls – one of which cost Stuart Broad the wicket of Usman Khawaja 121 runs into his 141 first time around. Even ignoring the latter – an inch further back would be a different delivery – this was the highest number of no-balls by England since the 25 in the 2006 defeat by Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge.
This profligacy feels more relevant than the runs England may or may not have scored without that first-innings declaration. On a torpid pitch such as the one served up at Edgbaston, where Cameron Green’s low stunner under heavy clouds was the only catch to fly to the slip/gully region off the seamers, chances come at a premium. Still, to create more than 20 opportunities was to the credit of England’s bowlers and the crackling synapses of Stokes when setting his fields.
Contrary to some chatter about recreating Rawalpindi, it was not what Stokes had in mind when he asked for “fast, flat” surfaces. Four days out from the match, with the covers on in bright sunshine, there were clearly concerns. Looking to Lord’s, where the slope offers natural variation, England will want a lot more carry.
Jimmy Anderson has long since shed a reputation for needing clouds to prosper but, without edges flying at catchable height, his excellence with the wobble seam is undermined. Back from a groin niggle and a four-week layoff, he was probably a little undercooked.
While Ollie Robinson had his moments (not all of them well‑thought through), Broad certainly validated his retention over Mark Wood with a performance of heart, skill and bandana bravado. His early hold over Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne represents a boon, the latter having seemingly inched into the county cricket trap of trying to cover off stump and losing it in the process. That said, a defeat with Australia’s big two sharing 35 runs between them is clearly a missed opportunity and these two batting badgers will be working hard to correct things during the break.
Despite a tricky match, including not moving for Khawaja’s edge four balls into his crucial 65 in the chase, there will be no going back on Jonny Bairstow as the wicketkeeper. The chief quandary is Moeen and the open wound on his spinning finger that resulted from more overs on day two (29) than in his Indian Premier League campaign (26).
His return to Test cricket after two years out contained some typical magic darts but ones that increasingly flew off the island as the problem developed.
England are initially minded to see if the skin dries and heals in the next few days, with Surrey’s Will Jacks – 29 first-class wickets raw and a batter, really – said to be the likeliest call-up if not.
Until he was clobbered for a couple of sixes late in the piece by Cummins, Joe Root’s off-breaks did lock down an end during that tense final day, so an alternative may be to deploy a Lord’s specialist in Chris Woakes – average 61 with the bat, 11 with the ball at HQ – or inject some pace in the form of Wood.
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That said, while Root is an ever‑willing cricketer who genuinely enjoys his bowling, England need to be mindful of not overburdening him. The former captain has just returned to the top of the International Cricket Council Test batting ranks after his 164 runs for once out and, given a top three that looks fallible, the day job cannot be compromised.
These are tactical decisions to be made closer to the time, with Stokes and Brendon McCullum stressing the overall approach will not change. But, after falling short in squeaky Brum time and knowing no side has won an Ashes series from 2-0 down since 1936-37, the result they claim not to think about must.
Five fixes for Lord’s
Raise the mower blades A reversion to playing on full-blown snooker tables could easily backfire on an England lineup that team who like to play their shots and should probably be avoided. Still, a bit more carry and sideways movement would not go amiss, certainly if the suppression of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne is to be maintained.
Improve the basics Cricketers shouldn’t really need reminding that dropped catches and no-balls (23!) can prove costly but with sharper hands/gloves and better discipline with the front line they would be 1-0 up right now. Jonny Bairstow – a far better wicketkeeper than some of the chatter, but stewing on missed chances – will be keen to make amends.
Keep up the pressure on Boland Edgbaston was the first time since that jaw-dropping debut in Melbourne 18 months ago that Scott Boland has gone at more than three runs per over. The 34-year-old did claim a key wicket in each innings but his overall economy – 5.65 – was disrupted with some twinkle-toed footwork and innovation from Joe Root in particular.
Pace – the final frontier Conditions at Lord’s are yet to present themselves but Mark Wood entering the fray has to be a serious consideration. Provided he is fit – he has not played since April in the Indian Premier League – the 33-year-old’s extra pace would present a fresh challenge for Australia, not least the tail.
Let the ball do the talking Ollie Robinson’s attempts to ruffle Usman Khawaja with some chirp in the second-innings run chase didn’t work. It wasn’t an entirely great look either following that crude (if slightly over-moralised) four-letter outburst upon getting him out in the first innings. Talk of “three No 11s” in the Australia team aged like milk, too. Time to focus on the bowling.
